Small Promises
by EveryWorldButThis
Summary: Just little moments between Emma and Regina, Regina is slowly healing after her ordeal with Greg and Tamara and Emma is there for her making small promises and slowly healing her heart. Rated T for now but rating may change and Later chapters will contain M content.


**Hey this is my very first attempt at writing Fanfiction and its a bit OC so reviews and any constructive feedback would be greatly appreciated but be kind please! :)**

**I'm hoping to add many more chapters to this story, some will continue on from others and some will be stand alone. hopefully I will get time to update regularly.**

**if anyone has any prompts that they think would make a good chapter or anything more that they think I should write about please let me know and I will do my best. All errors and grammar mistakes are mine, I don't have a beta yet, volunteers are welcome!**

**I hope I have done these characters justice.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. (though if I did I know Swan Queen would be cannon!) **

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Emma has never been very good at comforting people, growing up in group homes she tried to make a point of leaving the room when the smaller children cried. After years of crying herself to sleep she had accepted that there was no family coming to claim her, no one was going to adopt her and tears were not going to change anything.

So when she jolts wakes in the middle of the night to the sounds of muffled sobs it takes all her willpower not to stuff her fingers into her ears and turn over, instead she huffs out a small breath and grabs her jacket from over her legs. It was her turn to keep watch while David slept and she must have dosed off against the tree.

Sleeping while sitting up against a tree has taken its toll and she grimaces slightly as the muscles in her back and sides protest at the movement. Its still pitch black, probably the very early hours of the morning Emma muses, as she peers around their clearing seeing the curled up forms of Snow and David near the fire and the splayed outline of Hook across the far side. Regina's space is empty and Emma's brow creases slightly in a frown, concerned that the Woman has left them while they slept.

When Emma hears another soft sob coming from her right she slowly moves away from the light of the fire and into the jungle pushing and lifting foliage as she follows a small dirt track in pursuit of the noises.

The path turns sharply and opens up to a small clearing barely 10 feet across ending in a sharp cliff drop down to the sea, Regina is sat on the damp ground with her back against a large boulder knees drawn up and head buried in her arms, her body shakes slightly as nearly silent yet harsh sobs escape her. Emma pauses just inside the shadows unsure of how to proceed, this was certainly not her area of expertise, should she approach the woman? Surely Regina would not appreciate anyone seeing her like this, certainly not Emma who is pretty sure she is the main cause of this anyway. Maybe she should go back and get Snow, as soon as that thought has crossed her mind she instantly dismisses it, no matter how much history Regina and Snow have this is not something that will end well is she gets her mother involved.

Well then there is only one thing for it. Emma takes a deep breath and steps forward into the clearing, Regina tenses slightly but otherwise doesn't move, no fireballs come towards her, Emma takes this as a good sign and moves quietly towards the other woman. Sinking down onto the floor beside Regina she lets her gaze wander over her. Her clothes are showing signs of trekking through the jungle and despite the nature of their destination Emma is unsurprised to see Regina has opted for the most fashionable pair of boots possible a small chuckle escapes before she can hold it in.

"Is something funny Miss Swan?" Emma looks up see Regina has raised her head and is trying to discreetly wipe the mascara from under her eyes where tears have left streaks down each cheek.

" Ummm..no nothing" Emma is stuttering caught off guard, she quickly averts her gaze pretending not to have caught that small piece of vulnerability shown by the otherwise stoic woman and a small flicker of warmth settles in her heart. Regina's breathing is still shallow and her voice shakes nearly as much as her hands still rubbing at her cheeks in a futile attempt to clean them.

"Well then if you've nothing else to do other than sit here and laugh at nothing I would appreciate it if you would kindly leave me be Miss Swan"

"look, no just… here" Emma takes hold of the hem of her white tank top and pulls tight, ripping a small piece of material from along the bottom and holding it up slightly

"here let me?"

Regina hears the pleading in Emma's voice and for a couple of seconds struggles against her instincts to just use her magic and leave but something holds her back. She is exhausted, cold and so very very tired of being angry all the time, for once it feels nice to just want to give in to kindness. She turns slightly and straightens out her legs allowing Emma access to wipe away the makeup.

Emma's fingers shake slightly and suddenly she is not so sure what she is doing, with slow precise movements she brings the scrap of cloth up to Regina's face catching a small tear at the corner of the woman's eyes to dampen it and wipes carefully at the black marks.

Regina stays perfectly still, frozen and holding her breath, her eyes stare straight ahead not really seeing anything as her mind whirls a hundred miles an hour, the slight feel of Emma's breath on her face as she leans in closer brings her gaze back to the blonde, she has moved in closer a small frown creasing her brow as she concentrates on her task. Regina can feel Emma's free hand come up and touch her cheek gently asking her to turn her head and far too soon as far as Regina is concerned, Emma is finished and leaning back against the boulder next to her.

Emma shuffles slightly so her shoulder and elbow brush up against Regina's, legs stretched out in front of her, her breathing in normal now but Emma is very aware of the other woman's hands still shaking where they lie in her lap without really thinking about it Emma slips her hand over Regina's, linking their fingers together. Her skin is warm and soft against hers and as she runs her thumb over Regina's she tugs slightly until their hands are resting on Emma's own lap. She brings her other hand up and runs her fingertips over Regina's nails tracing the creases in her skin and lingering over a chip in one of her otherwise perfect manicure, silently offering comfort.

The two women sit together looking out over the tree tops in the valley far below, Regina takes in a lungful of air "Miss Swan…" she pauses momentarily distracted as Emma squeezes the hand she is holding and turns her head looking her straight in the eye, her gaze is open and honest and Regina is lost in the swirling emerald pools all thoughts fleeing her mind. Emma is looking at her with such trust and kindness that Regina's heart contracts and the pain she had been feeling for the past days comes back with a sharp stab. The torture she had endured at the hands of Greg and Tamara, the horror of finding Henry gone, days at sea and trekking through the jungle with little to no sleep. Of course she had tried sleeping but every time she closed her eyes her dreams haunted her.

"yeah?" Emma gives Regina's hand another reassuring squeeze and continues to rub her fingers over her hand.

"Nothing" Regina manages to choke out before dropping her gaze to their entwined hands.

"Funny those 'nothings' aren't they" Regina can hear the smile in Emma's voice and allows a small breath out a little of the chaos clearing from her mind.

A minutes pass by with no sound or movement from either women except the gentle sounds of breathing and Emma allows her head to fall back against the boulder feeling Regina's shoulders relax next to her, she can almost feel the tension leaving her body as she gets comfortable, hands rubbing slow calm circles into Regina's.

Regina feeling Emma sink more into the boulder next to her focuses on allowing her own body to relax, surely she thinks, there can be no harm in granting herself theses few precious minutes to truly appreciate the warmth of the woman next to her. She rolls her shoulders and points her toes, stretching and easing the tension from her cramped muscles before releasing her stiff posture and letting her head rest back on the rock. Regina Closes her eyes and feels the waves of panic in her mind even out and eventually calm, her chest rises and falls slowly and for the first time since escaping Greg and Tamara she feels safe.

Emma's voice is a caress in the dark, barely carried to Regina's sleepy ears, Regina isn't even sure if Emma is talking to her or herself.

"see that's better"

Regina even in her exhausted state represses the urge to roll her eyes, settling instead for a slight twitch of her fingers in Emma's hand, the first time she has moved them since Emma took them for herself.

Emma smiles with her eyes still closed and feels Regina's fingers move within her own, she caresses them in return and tries not to think too hard about how good it feels just to be holding her hand, to be this close to her without fighting. it's a feeling Emma tells herself, that she wants to have more of, a feeling that she treasures above all else and she is sure that if someone was to try and take it away from her she would hold on with all her strength. Emma's has never questioned her feelings for Regina before, the have spent so much time fighting, fighting each other for Henry, for the town, for their own needs, Emma imagines it would be nice to fight for each other.

It is in this one moment that Emma is more sure of anything that she has ever been in her life, she wants this woman. Wants to stay with her and hold her hand, too wipe her tears away and see her smile. Emma's heart gives a hollow thump in her chest and warmth spreads outwards as she imagines embracing both Henry and Regina together.

Not sure whether Regina can hear or not Emma whispers under her breath, the words coming straight from her heart.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you sooner when they had you. The things that they did to you, if I'd known I would have followed you I would have done anything to stop them. I would follow you anywhere. This is not going to happen again, we are going to get our son back and we are going to be together…" Emma hesitates here unsure if she should be really making plans for all of them together. Her heart pulses again pushing that warmth through her veins, through her fingertips and into Regina's skin.

"we will be together all of us"

Emma's words drift into Regina's mind floating through her ears and settle like a warm blanket on her conscious and Regina promises herself there and then she will open up a little bit of her heart for this woman, this idiotic saviour who has barrelled her way into her life, destroyed her world and claimed the love of her son. This woman who has stumbled and tripped her way through ever blockade Regina has thrown up and has gathered up the pieces when Regina has lay broken and melded them back together. This woman who sits here now caressing her hand and promising to never let her go. Regina knows right then that she wants this, wants this little glimmer of hope for a happy ending.

She promises to herself, she will not tell anybody about the way Emma Swan holds her hand, about the things she plans for them about the way her heart craves this.

They sun rises gradually over the valley and warm light creeps steadily towards to two figures, melting over legs and up to entwined fingers that are still held tightly while the two women sleep, Emma's head has fallen to rest on Regina's shoulder and Regina's free hand rests in her lap fingertips wrapped in the few strands of blonde hair that cascade down over her chest.

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So what did you think? I want to carry this on a little further but I'm not sure how to proceed from this point. an ideas let me know

Reviews make my heart skip a beat!


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